their Instagram feed gives us our first glimpse of the Edelstein 2017 Ink of the Year, Smoky Quartz. This newest gem stone inspired color will follow on the heels of the very popular Aquamarine from last year’s limited edition run. It will be the fourteenth addition to the Edelstein line-up and the sixth Ink of the Year.

While official word is still lacking from Pelikan, it is not entirely surprising that this is the shade for 2017. Pelikan has held a few contest since 2015 which have provided the opportunity for fans to try their hand at crafting an IOTY. When Amethyst won as the 2015 ink, it was reported that Smoky Quartz, submitted by a participant in Poland, finished second. It was speculated that we would see Smoky Quartz as the 2016 release but that never came to pass with Aquamarine coming instead. It now seems Pelikan delayed rather than abandoned this color. You might also recall that we already have next years release mapped out, a yet to be named olive-green color which won Pelikan’s most recent contest. This years hue appears to be a light brown. The actual gem stone has a variety of colors ranging from almost complete transparency to a brownish-gray crystal. No writing samples are available just yet so only time will tell what this will actually look like on paper so it’s best to withhold judgement for now.

This is the sixth annual release of an “Ink of the Year” and presumably the third that Pelikan took inspiration from its fans to help craft. Smoky Quartz now joins the discontinued Turmaline, Amber, Garnet, Amethyst, and Aquamarine. All of the colors in the line can be traced back to gemstones (the German word Edelstein translates into gemstone). The Ink of the Year releases are limited runs produced only for one year at a time. If you’re a fan of a color, stock up because once they are gone, no more will be produced. Based on past releases, we can presume that Smoky Quartz will be available in 50 mL bottles as well as standard international cartridges. Look for availability sometime in the Spring. Finally, if Pelikan continues the trend of the last two years, we can expect to see an M205 demonstrator emulating this same color which I’m particularly excited about.

This year promises some interesting additions to the Pelikan line-up if rumors are to be believed. We have already seen the Zeus and M101N Bright Red released along with the Ink of the Year, Smoky Quartz. News of Pelikan’s newest special edition broke today, courtesy of several vendors. Slated for a May 2017 release, the M800 family expands with the introduction of the Renaissance Brown.

The Renaissance Brown will incorporate the standard gold-plated furniture of the M800 line-up. That includes two trim rings at the piston knob, two trim rings on the cap, and a single trim ring on the section. The 24 karat gold-plated cap top bares the company’s single chick logo and the cap clip depicts the traditional pelicans beak. The piston knob and section appear to be made from a black resin. The official description of the cap and barrel finish is as follows;

“This special edition was designed with a completely new color combination: Extraordinary, pearl-like ribbons of color in the brown, acrylic material reveal fine nuances of light and shadow. This aesthetically pleasing juxtaposition symbolizes a typical characteristic of Renaissance painting, making it an homage to the masterpieces painted by the period’s greatest artists.”

The Renaissance Brown will have a two-toned 18C-750 gold nib available in the standard sizes of EF, F, M, and B. Pre-release photos do not show a discrete ink window but the look of the material suggests there may be transparency in the barrel to allow for gauging the remaining ink level.

The initial photos that I saw of the Renaissance Brown did not impress me but these promotional photos certainly have promise and I can’t wait to see an example in person. I am surprised to see another brown colored M8xx pen so soon since the Grand Place was released just a year ago. I can’t help but think there will yet again be a fair number of Pelikan fans disappointed to see another new finish in the M8xx line, a pen considered to be too large for the comfort of many. For those folks, there is the hope of an M205 Smoky Quartz later this Summer and an M605 is reportedly in the works as well. What are your thoughts on the Renaissance Brown M800?